Automobile fender



1937- R. CADWALLADER 2,068,732

AUTOMOBILE FENDER Filed Feb. 21, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E E v INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY5.

1937- R. CADWALLADER 2,068,732

AUTOMOBILE FENDER Filed Feb. 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E INVENTOR. EFaker/f Cad'wali'adefi A TTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 26, 1937 PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE FENDER RobertCadwallader, Highland Park, Mich assignor to Chrysler(lorporatiombetroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware ApplicationFebruary 21, 1934. Serial No. 712,283

5 Claims.

This invention. relates to a tender and more particularly to anautomobile fender in which a closure member is provided for the open sidthereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a closure member whichsubstantially covers the upper half of the wheel of an automobile whenit is on an automobile below the fender, thereby not only improving theappearance of the automobile fender but preventing mud andwater fromsplashing the body and windows.

A further object of the invention is to provide a detachable guard forthe open side of the fender which maybe readily assembled ordisassembled for the purpose of cleaning or removing the automobilewheel or tire.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel locking mechanismwhich securely holds the closure member on the fender, the lockingmember having been designed to provide radial tension on the adjacentfaces of the closure member and the fender. a

Further objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appearfrom the followin description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a rear automobile fender, parts being brokenaway and in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of one 01. the looking members and itsoperating mechanism, a portion of the closure member and the fender isshown in section;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 2 showing thelocking mechanism on a scale larger than that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV--IV of Fig. 1, showing themechanism for operating the locking members; I

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 1, showing theconstruction of the lower edge of the closure member; Y

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line VI-VI of Fig. '7, showing anenlarged view;

Fig. '7 is a transverse sectional view taken on line VII-VII of Fig. 6,showing a guiding member on the closure member extending into aresilient member carried by the fender;

Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. '7 except that the guiding memberhas been removed from the resilient member; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line IXIX of Fig. 1, showing on alarger scale the means for securing a beaded sound deadening material tothe outer periphery of the closure member.

Referring to the drawings wherein I have illusextend the locking membershereinafter more trated a preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 haveshown the tonneau of an automobile l0 having a fender I2 of theconventional type. As is customary, the fender is provided with a.semicircular opening on its front face through which 5 the wheel or tireof an automobile may be readily removed. At the peripheral edge of theopening I have provided an inturned flange I, this flange defining theopen side of the fender.

Spaced openings have been provided in the inwardly extending flange I4to receive a resilient member l6 which is carried by a plate I8, thelatter being detachably secured to the underside of the flange H. Theresilient member I6 may be secured to the plate i8 by bonding. 15 A bolt20 extending through the plate and flange receives a nut 22 for securingthe plate and its resilient member to the flange. The resilient memberI6 and plate i8 are provided with an opening in the form of a slot 24,the portion of the slot adjacent the flange I4 is somewhat wider. thanit is at the top to provide a gripping action of a member extending intothe slot.

Adjacent the lower edges of the fender other openings have been providedthrough which may fully referred to. Below eachof the slot memj bers andpositioned on the outer periphery of the flange M, I have placedresilient members 28 against which the locking members exert aresilient-tension. These locking openings are positioned substantiallydiametrically'opposite.

Referring to the closure member I have provided. a-sub'stantiallysemi-cylindrical plate portion .30 having at its outer edges an axiallyex-' tending flange 3| corresponding substantially in size and v shapeto the flange H on the fender. Spaced projections 32 in the form ofstrap-like members are secured to the under surface of the flange 3|.These projections are spaced about the outer periphery of the flange 31a distance corresponding to the spacing of the openings in the resilientmember i6. These projections also extend substantially in a verticaldirection so that they may be received in the resilient member by 5 avertical movement of the closure memberinto the open side of the fender.The projections are substantially'U-shaped in form, the ends of themember being secured to the underside of the flange 3|, either by rivetsor by spot welding.

At the center of the lower edge of the closure member 30 I have providedan opening through which extends a bolt 34 having a head in the form ofa nut 36 for the reception of a tool used in turning'the bolt 34.Washers 38 and 40 have u been provided around the bolt 34 and spaced onthe opposite sides of the closure member 30. An enlarged portion of thebolt 34 is shown at 42 forming a shoulder against which abuts anotherwasher 44. A member 46 having outwardly extending arms 48 and 56 ispositioned on the bolt 34 against the washer 44, held in place by a nut52 screwthreaded onto the bolt 34. A washer 54 is positioned between thenut 52 and the member 46.

The nut 52 securely fastens the member 46 on the bolt so that the latterturns therewith when rotated by a tool on the nut 36. The washer 54,member 46, and washer 44 are securely held against rotation by theirengagement with the shoulder formed by the enlarged portion 42, thus themember 46 may be rotated by rotating the nut 36. The shoulder formed bythe enlarged portion 42 prevents the washer 38 from being ripped tootightly between the washer 44 and the closure member 30. A reinforcingplate 56 has been provided on the outer surface of the closure member 38and is secured thereto by bolt 58.

Positioned on the opposite sides of the closure member .I have providedbrackets 60 diametrically opposite the turning mechanism for the lockingmembers. These brackets are secured to the inner periphery of theflange. 3| and pivotally support hook-like members 62, these hooklikemembers have their free outer ends formed cam-shaped and are adapted tobe projected through an opening in the flange of the closure member andthe opening 26 in the flange of the fender. The purpose of forming theseprojections cam-shaped is to cause the closure member 36 to be forcedupwardly as the hook member is forced through the opening 26 in theflange of the fender. radial tension inwardly on the flange of thefender thereby drawing the'two flanges tightly together.

Links 66 and 68 are provided between the arms 48 and 56 and the hook 62.When the arms 48 and 50 are in a horizontal position, thehooks 62 areprojected into the openings in the two flanges, and when the arms 48 and50 are in a vertical position the hooks are withdrawn from the openingsthereby permitting removal of the closure member. Thus it will beunderstood that by rotating the nut 36, the hooks 62 may be projectedinto the openings or out of the openings for the purpose of looking orunlocking the closure member'tothe fender.

By the arrangement of the projections 32 in a vertical position and theprovision of the hooklike looking members, it is possible to positionthe closure member below the fender and raise it in a vertical directionfor positioning it on the fender. The locking members are then turned tolocking position, thereby forcing'the closure member upwardly as well asdrawing the bottom portion of the fender radially inward into tightengagement with the closure member.

In order to form a good seal between the two metallic flanges I haveprovided a seal of sound deadening material consisting of a beadedstraplike member 69 which is secured to the inwardly extending flange ofthe closure member. It will be understood that this sound dcadeningmaterial lies between the two flanges tightly gripped therebetween" toform a seal and to prevent any sound caused by the engagement ofmetallic parts.

At the lower edge of the closure member 361 I have provided areinforcing member in the form This cam surface also exerts a of a beadwhich is detachably secured to the lower edge of the closure member. Adecorative strip 18 is folded over the longitudinal edges of astiffening member 12 having inwardly extending projections 14 which arereceived in openings in the lower edge of the closure member. An anglemember I6 is positioned on the inner face of the closure member and isprovided with openings which receive the projections 14, the outer freeends of the projections are bent over the angle member 16, therebysecurely locking the three members on the opposite sides 'of the closuremember 30.

It will be understood that various changes including the size, shape,and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spiritof my invention, and it is not my intention to limit the scope thereofother than by the terms of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A closure for the open side of an automobile fender comprising asubstantially semicircular cover having an inwardly extending flange atits periphery, spaced projections extending vertically beyond the outerperiphery of said flange, and diametrically opposed locking memberspivotally mounted at'the inner periphery of said flange and extendingthrough said flange for locking engagement with a support.

2. A closure for the open side of an automobile fender comprising asubstantially semicircular cover having an inwardly extending flange atits periphery, spaced projections extending vertically beyond the outerperiphery of said flange, and diametrically opposed locking memberspivotally mounted at the inner periphery of said flange and extendingthrough said flange for locking engagement with a support, said, lockingmembers exerting a pressure in a direction parallel to said verticallyextending projections and in a direction at right angles thereto.

3. A closure for the open side of an automobile fender comprising acover having a peripheral flange extending at right angles to the mainbody portion of said cover, spaced guiding projections extendingoutwardly beyond the outer periphery of said flange, oppositelypositioned supports extending inwardly beyond the inner periphery ofsaid flange, locking members pivotally mounted on said supports eachhaving a downwardly and outwardly extending portion passing through anopening in said flange adjacent said support, and a common means formoving said locking members to position the outer ends of saiddownwardly and outwardly extending portionfrom a position flush with theouter periphery of said flange to a position outwardly beyond the outerperiphery of said flange.

4. The combination of an automobile fender having an inwardly extendingflange at its edge defining an open outer side through which a tire maypass axially, said flange having elongated openings for the reception ofguiding means, re-

silient material around the elongated openings, at

closure for the open side of said fender comprising a body portionhaving an inwardly extending flange at its edge conforming to thecontour of said fender flange, guiding members on said 5. Thecombination of an automobile tender having a crown portion and an openside, a closure member for the open side of said fender having its outerperiphery conformingto the edge of the fender defining the opening, asound deadening member on the outer periphery of said closure member forengagement with the inner edge of said fender, guiding members on saidclosure member, resilient means on said fender for receiving andpositioning said guiding means against inner and outer movement butpermitting movement at right angles thereto, and locking means carriedby said closure member adapted to engage said fender to draw theadjacent edges of said tender and said closure member together.

ROBERT CADWALLADER.

